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Israel and Hamas Blame Each Other as Ceasefire Talks Stall
Israel and Hamas blame each other for stalling ceasefire talks as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives in Tel Aviv to press for an agreement, with negotiations nearing a final stage but still facing obstacles.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks to press during a joint press conference with Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, Israel, April 12, 2021. (DoD Photo by U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jack Sanders)
Israel and Hamas have blamed each other for impeding a ceasefire and hostage deal, as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Tel Aviv to press for an agreement. Despite mediators saying the current round of negotiations has brought the two sides closest to an official pause in fighting in months, objections from both sides on Sunday raised the chances of renewed stalemate.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel is "conducting negotiations and not a scenario in which we just give and give," while Hamas released a statement detailing what it said were Israel's new demands that would prevent a deal. Blinken is set to meet with Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog, and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and will head to Egypt on Tuesday.
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The war in the Palestinian enclave broke out after Hamas fighters swarmed into southern Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people. Israel responded with an air and ground assault, and more than 40,000 people have died, according to health officials in Hamas-run Gaza. US officials have said efforts to reach an agreement on ending the conflict are nearing the final stages.
The proposal resembles a previous three-phase plan unveiled in May by US President Joe Biden, calling for a suspension of hostilities, the swap of hostages for prisoners, some withdrawal of Israeli forces, and the return of Palestinian civilians to the northern Gaza Strip. However, Netanyahu has previously insisted that the Israeli army remain stationed along the strategic Philadelphi and Netzarim corridors in Gaza.
Another sticking point in the talks has been the number of Israeli hostages who would be freed in the first round of an exchange for Palestinian prisoners. In a possible signal of flexibility, the Netzarim route went unmentioned in a statement Netanyahu issued after Blinken's arrival. However, Hamas suggested that Israel continues to insist on a military presence at Netzarim and has placed "new conditions" on an exchange of hostages for prisoners.
